ICAR-CIWA Bhubaneswar Develops New Women Friendly Farm Technology

Bhubaneswar: At a time when cultivable land for agriculture is shrinking due to increase in population pressure, urbanisation and industrial growth, ICAR’s Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA) at Bhubaneswar has developed a new technology to deal with this challenge.

The livelihood of rural families is centered on agriculture and allied activities and in the villages of eastern India most of the households possess a small piece of land besides their home.

To ensure dietary diversity and household nutritional security to the landless farm families, ICAR-CIWA Bhubaneswar team comprising Dr Tania Seth, Dr Arun Kumar Panda and Chaitrali Shashank Mhatre has developed the technology of “Women Friendly Multipurpose Integrated Vertical Nutri-Farming System (IVNFS) for vegetable production with mushroom and poultry”.

The low-income families can meet their needs for vitamins, minerals and plant protein through regular access to nutrient rich vegetables, mushrooms, eggs and meat obtained from this system.

It increases farmwomen’s resilience to climate vulnerability and offer subsidiary source of income from the sale of small surpluses to the resource poor farm families, said an official release.

A Gujarat-based entrepreneur Japan Shah of Centrifugal Products had approached ICAR-CIWA for licensing of this technology. Hands on training about the IVNFS technology was imparted to the entrepreneur Monday.

An MoU has also been signed for handing over of IVNFS technology between ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar and Centrifugal Products, Gujarat.

During the event, Dr Mridula Devi, Director ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar assured the Gujarat-based entrepreneur that all possible help will be extended for establishment of facilities as per the IVNFS technology.